Fruit washing and polishing machine.



J. K. WOOLSLAIR & G. ALARNDT.

FRUIT WASHING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mum 11110.24, woe.

Patentd Apr. 4, 1911;

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J. K. WOOLSLAIR & G. A. ARNDT.

FRUIT WASHING AND POLISHING MAOHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 24. 1909. v

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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J. K. WOOLSLAIR & G. A. ARNDII'. FRUIT WASHING AND POLISHING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED D110. 24, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES Mao-W fi MM a; Allarmyd I UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFIOE.

JOHN K. WOOLSLAIR AND GUSTAVE A. ARNDT, OF LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA.

FRUTT WASHING ANP POLISHING MACHINE.

Specification of Lettefs Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Applioation filed December 24, 1909. Serial No. 534,889.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN K. \Voons- LAIR and GUSTAVEA. ARNDT, citizens of the United States, residing in the county of Lee and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit NVashing and Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine in which fruit is washed and polished between revolving cylinders or rollers.

The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and then more particularly-pointed out in the appended claims.

- Referring to the'drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2' is a plan view, partly in'section, of the machine shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation, part-lyin section of one end of the machine. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the other end of the machine. a r

1 denotes the frame of the machine; and 2 a tank'supported by the frame and containing a cleansing fiuid,'as water, or a prepared liquid. p v

3 3 denote a pair of approximately horizontal, oppositely rotating, brushing cylinders laced side by' side'i-n close relation to eac other and longitudinally of the machine and with the lower portions of their convex surfaces dipping into the cleansing fluid contained in tank2. The

convex surfaces of these cylinders are. covered with a soft, fibrous or filamentous material, such, for example as sheeps wool:

and the cylinders 3 are carried by shafts.

44 which are rotatably mounted in a suitable manner on the frame of the machine. i

The brushing cylinders revolve upwardly,

' away from each other; and in the V-shaped trough formed by them above their centers, the fruit to be cleaned is tumbled between them and is brushed and washed and polished by their moistened surfaces.

The fruit is carried along the lengthof the cylinders 3 by means of a drag-belt 5 that travels along the. V-shaped trough formed by the rollers. The drag belt shown is formed of a pair of continuous sprocket chains 66 arranged parallel to and near each other and from and between which are hung pads 7 of soft material, such for exhavin tion may be transmitted throlwhout the machine by the means illustrated: in which 10 denotes a sprocket wheel fast on the driven shaft 4 and driving, by means of a sprocket chain, a sprocketwheel 11 fast on a shaft revolubly mounted upon the frame 1, to which shaft is also fasta spur gear that is in mesh with agear 12 on the shaft 4 of the other brushing cylinder. Fast to the shaft 4, at the other side of the'cylinder from the belt driven pulley, is a bevel gear' 13 which is in mesh with a similar gear that is fast to a stub shaft revolubly mounted in a suitable manner on the frame 1; and said stub shaft has also fastthe'reto a sprocket wheel 14 which is connected by a sprocket chain to a -sprocket wheel 15 fast on a shaft 16 revolubly mounted on the frame of the machine.

The shaft 16v has a changeable sp'eed convnection with the shaft 9 to which the pair of sprocket wheels which drive the chains 66 of the drag-belt 5 'are fast. The changeable speed connection shown comample as rubber, felt or carpet. These i prises two sprocket wheels 17,18 fast to the y shaft 16 and connected by sprocket chains to sprocket wheels 19, 20 respectively, loose upon the shaft 9, and provided with opposed clutch-faced hubs, either of which is adapted to be engaged by a c1utch-sleeve 21 its opposed ends formed to engage the a jacent clutch-faced hubs. The clutchsleeve 21 is feathered to the shaft 9, to rotate therewith, but to be slidable thereon between said hubs in the usual and well a known manner. As the ratio between the diameters of the gears 17 and 19 difi'ers from the ratio of the diameter of the ear 18 to 20, it will be seen that the spec of the drag belt can be varied by disengaging the clutch sleeve from either of the gears 19 or 20 and engaging it with the other ear. The clutch-sleeve 21 may be shifted y a ,will 'clean and polish. the fruit thoroughly and expeditiously.;

'lever pivoted: to the machine and providexl with a yoke which rests in an annular groove of the clutch-sleeve.

22 denotes a chute by means of which the fruit is fed in between the rollers 3; and 23 denotes a chute which receives and discharges the fruit after it has'been carriedv along the length-(if the rollers.

The tank 2 and roller 3 may be provided with an upper inclosing casing 24 through which is provided a passageway for the drag belt 5. Ihe tank 2 may also be provided with a faucetas shown to draw ofl the. con tents of the tank. J

The fruit to be cleaned and polished, oranges forexample, are fed into the chute 22 which discharges them into the \I.-shaped trough between the'brushing cylinders;

which rotating upwardly away from each other rubsand rolls the oranges between their moistened fibrous" surfaces; and the pads of the drag-belt being drawn along this in cy trough between the cylinders strikes against the oranges and rolls them lengthwise of the. rollers thereby constantly changing their position with reference to the cylinders '3 so'that all portions of the oranges are exposed tothe scouring action ofthe cylinders. *It will be seen that the'machine is simple in construction and operation and that it Havin described our invention, what we 1. A fruit cleaning machine comprising a pair of rotatable brushing cylinders havfiua filamentous '01' fibr0us covering, the ders beingfdisposed side by side to form a trough-like space in which thefruit s supported androlled by the cylinders, and a drag-belt movable along said troughlike space above vand adapted to contact with the fruit therein to roll said fruit lengthwise ofthetcylinders.

1;.a fr'ame,-a pair of horizontally'dlspo'sec l 2. Afruit cleaning machine comp brushing cyhnders, :rotatable shafts jour-.

dialed in the-frame, each'shaft carrying a brushing cylinder fast 7 thereto, a shaft ronation with a tatably mounted on the frameat each end of the "cylinders an'dtransversely thereof, a continuous drag-belt running on saidtransverse shafts and driven by one of them, the bottom stretch of the belt running in the space between the upper portions of the cylinders and adapted to contact-with and roll along the fruit contained in said space, means for applying power to the shaft of necting the shafts of both cylin ers to have them rotate oppositely, and variable speed driving connections between the shaft of one of the brushing cylinders and the transverse shaft that drives the drag-belt.

3. In a fruit cleaning machine, the combination with a pair of cylinders adapted .to brush fruit placed between .them,'of means for moving the fruit along said cylinders, said fruit moving means comprising a pair Ont-continuous sprocket chains disposed parallel to each other and brushing pads connected thereto to hang downwardly from the sprocket chains into the space between the cylinders to contact with the fruit and roll it along.

4. In a fruit cleaningimachine, the combiair of rotating cylinders disposed approximately horizontal and having'a filamentous or fibrous covering for their, convex surfaces, thecylinders being disposed side by side to sustain the fruit between them, means for rolling tl1 e fruit lengthwise of the cylinders, such means comprising an endless belt having pads hung therefrom and adapted to contact with and rub over the fruit and roll it along the cylinders, said hanging of the pads permitting them to be swung upwardly by the,

fruit in passing thereover. M

' In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two w tnesses,

one of the cylinders to rotate it, caring con-- i JOHN K. 'WOOIQSLAIR-i .GUSTAVE A.'ARNDT i Witnesses;

HARRY M. KREAMER, LOIS S. KREAMEB. 

